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A letter from the Centre for Environmental Rights, on behalf of the Life After Coal Campaign, to the South African Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, urging the prioritisation of a coal phase-out and a just transition to sustainable energy systems.

This report is an appeal by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) against an integrated environmental authorisation (IEA) granted by the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) to Mineral Sands Resources (Pty) Ltd (MSR). The appeal contests the expansion of mining operations at Tormin Mine, arguing that the authorisation was granted through an unlawful circumvention of the mining right application process and fails to adequately protect Critical Biodiversity Areas (CBAs).

This report provides an air-pollution dispersion model and health risk assessment for 14 industrial facilities in and around South Africa's Mpumalanga Highveld Priority Area (HPA). The analysis compares actual 2016 emissions against a scenario where facilities comply with the 2020 Minimum Emissions Standards (MES), finding that current emissions cause significant early deaths and exceed multiple international air quality guidelines.

This document is a Rule 16A notice filed in the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division, Pretoria, in June 2019. It outlines the constitutional issues raised by applicants—including GroundWork and the Vukani Environmental Justice Alliance—regarding air pollution in the Highveld Priority Area and the failure of the Minister of Environmental Affairs to establish regulations to implement the Highveld Priority Area Air Quality Management Plan.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) requested access to internal reports and findings from the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) regarding Climate Change Risk and Vulnerability Assessments conducted in specific water management areas and water transfer projects.

This fact sheet by the Centre for Environmental Rights details the environmental track record of ArcelorMittal South Africa Ltd (AMSA), specifically focusing on its Vanderbijlpark Works. It outlines systemic non-compliance with air and water quality laws, significant land contamination, and a lack of transparency regarding climate change risks and greenhouse gas emissions.

A letter from the Centre for Environmental Rights to the IPP Office of the Department of Energy requesting updates on the commercial and financial close deadlines for the Thabametsi and Khanyisa coal-fired power station projects, while asserting that neither project is currently capable of reaching such close due to outstanding licenses and pending litigation.

This document is a formal appeal submitted by the Centre for Environmental Rights on behalf of Earthlife Africa and groundWork to the Minister of Environmental Affairs. The appeal seeks to set aside an Environmental Authorisation granted on 15 March 2019 to the Department of Water and Sanitation for Phase 2A of the Mokolo and Crocodile River (West) Augmentation Project (MCWAP-2A). The appellants argue that the project is unnecessary, environmentally damaging, and based on outdated energy demand assumptions.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), writing on behalf of groundWork, urges Absa Group Ltd to cease financing for proposed coal-fired power plants, specifically the Thabametsi and Khanyisa independent power producers (IPPs). The letter argues that continuing to fund coal projects poses significant financial, reputational, and environmental risks, noting that other major South African banks like Nedbank have already withdrawn support.

The Draft National Spatial Development Framework (NSDF) 2019 is a long-term strategic planning instrument for South Africa, mandated by the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA) and aligned with the National Development Plan (NDP). It aims to dismantle the spatial legacies of colonialism and apartheid by transitioning the country toward an integrated, inclusive, and sustainable national space economy by 2050.

The Centre for Environmental Rights, on behalf of the Life After Coal Campaign, submitted a letter and technical report to the South African Minister of Environmental Affairs arguing that "clean coal" is a myth and a misnomer. The document asserts that coal-fired power generation is unsustainable due to environmental, health, and climate impacts, and advocates for a just transition to renewable energy sources like wind and solar to meet global climate targets.

This report, authored by Dr. Ranajit Sahu and published by the Centre for Environmental Rights, analyzes emissions monitoring data from Eskom power stations between April 2016 and December 2017. The study identifies thousands of exceedances of Atmospheric Emission License (AEL) limits for particulate matter (PM), sulfur oxides (SO2), and oxides of nitrogen (NOx), attributing these failures in part to a lack of modern pollution control technologies and unreliable reporting practices.

This report projects that Eskom's planned non-compliance with South Africa's Minimum Emission Standards (MES) would lead to an estimated 16,000 avoidable premature deaths and significant excess emissions of SO2, NOx, particulate matter, and mercury. The health impacts are particularly acute in the Gauteng region, where 3,100 premature deaths could be avoided through full compliance. The analysis also highlights that mercury deposition would exceed health risk thresholds over 89,000km², affecting 3.4 million people.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) wrote to the Municipal Manager of the Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Local Municipality on 15 March 2019 to request the status of a land-use change application for Portion 1 of Yzermyn 96 HT, following reports that a previous outcome was communicated erroneously.

A formal submission by the Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance (VEJA) and groundWork (gW) objecting to ArcelorMittal South Africa's (AMSA) application for postponements and alternative emission standards at its Vanderbijlpark Works facility.

The Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance (VEJA) and groundWork (gW) submitted a formal objection on 11 March 2019 against ArcelorMittal South Africa’s (AMSA) application for the postponement and alternative plant standards of minimum emission standards (MES) at its Vanderbijlpark Works. The submitters argue that AMSA's requests are unlawful, fail to meet statutory requirements, and would violate the constitutional right to a healthy environment.

A letter from the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) to the Minister of Environmental Affairs demanding the withdrawal of an amendment to the List of Activities that weakened sulphur dioxide minimum emission standards for existing plants.

The Centre for Environmental Rights, on behalf of the Life After Coal Campaign, wrote to South Africa's Minister of Energy to object to the use of the term "clean coal" in government statements. The letter argues that "clean coal" is a myth and that the only sustainable path is a phase-out of coal in favor of renewable energy to meet climate targets and ensure a just transition.

This case study details a legal challenge by The Black Eagle Project Roodekrans against the MEC for the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment, Gauteng Provincial Government, regarding land use exemptions and environmental authorisations near the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden.

This document is an independent review by Dr Michael Holland and Dr Joseph Spadaro of a health impact assessment and cost-benefit analysis (CBA) conducted for the South African power utility, Eskom. The reviewers conclude that the Eskom report contains significant methodological errors and biases that lead to a substantial underestimation of the health benefits of pollution controls. They calculate that the benefits of action would actually exceed costs by a factor of 5 or more, which reverses the conclusions of the original Eskom CBA.